1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to toy mechanisms and more particularly to a low cost cam mechanism for a toy repetitively moving appendages creating fun and life like animation and facilitating an automatic shut off mechanism preserving battery life in the toy. The invention also relates to methods for automatically shutting off a rotating cam mechanism either to prevent repetitive continued operation and/or to provide e.g. a “try me” operation for limited demonstrative operation of toy devices and the like while packaged or configured in a point of sale display.
2. Background of the Invention
The toy industry has seen an evolution of technology in recent years which has coincided with consumer demand for more realistic toys embodied as small creatures, animals, dolls, etc. To provide a small doll or toy with fun and realistic movements, a cost-technology trade off has become important. As a result, making movable or animated toys more cost effective has led to the implementation of technologies which seek to preserve the battery life of the toy while also achieving desired movements and animation.
More complex devices seeking to reduce the drain on a power source in a toy have been seen to intermittently stop the motor from running with the use of substantial electronics and complicated operating arrangements incorporating microprocessors and/or integrated circuits. The utilization of integrated circuits and other substantial electronics can reduce power or battery drain, for example with single turn impulse device actuators for use in small devices, but will significantly increase manufacturing costs. As a result, incorporating electronic devices into the manufacture of small movable and animated toys in order to preserve battery life in the toy is not cost effective. Comparatively, the use of mechanical rather than electrical devices for the purpose of preserving the life of the battery in a toy with movable parts or animated appendages is much more cost effective without expensive electronics and has a significantly reduced manufacturing cost.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,536,167 to Hughes for “Rocking Mechanism” discloses a rocking mechanism for a toy mounted on a frame and utilizing a drive wheel intermittently rotated by an electric motor rocking the frame back and forth. A first switch connects the motor to a battery and a second horizontal sensing switch is connected in parallel with the first switch. The second switch energizes the motor causing rotation of the wheel when the frame is balanced and the second switch is in a horizontal position. An unbalancing weight mounted on the wheel then unbalances the frame causing it to rock from the horizontal opening up the second switch. The wheel rotates an attached cam which, when advanced enough, will rotate into contact with and close the first switch activating the motor to drive the wheel until the weight has returned to its balanced position and opened up the first switch.
The rocking mechanism of Hughes includes first and second switches which alternately turn on the motor to keep the frame continuously rocking. The motor is only momentarily stopped during the delay between the first and second switches alternately turning on the motor and no mechanism to completely shut down the motor at a defined point in time is disclosed. Hughes does not disclose an automatic shut off mechanism which halts the motor after a defined rocking cycle or at a defined rocking point but rather, momentarily stops the motor randomly. In Hughes, Rocking of the frame will continue for some time, until the frame is positioned such that neither first nor second switches are closed to activate the motor. To shut down the motor at a defined point a user must manually stop the rocking at the position where neither switch is closed or after many rocks back and forth eventually there will not be enough rocking momentum to advance the cam to close the first switch while simultaneously the second switch will not come to the horizontal position and will also not close.
In another embodiment Hughes discloses a rocking mechanism for a toy mounted on a frame utilizing a pin actuator which controls the unwinding of a spring motor when the frame comes to rest on a surface in a horizontal position. An unbalancing weight mounted on a shaft will revolve when the motor is activated causing the frame to rock back and forth. A linkage stop engages the pin and is positioned to interfere with an oscillating escapement to prevent the spring motor from unwinding until the pin actuator is depressed again, when the frame is in a balance horizontal position on the surface. Again, Hughes does not disclose a mechanism to completely shut down the motor at a defined time frame or rocking cycle.
In the Hughes devices if the pin actuator, which controls the activation of the motor, is continuously depressed the motor cannot be shut down, but rather the Hughes device is designed in this situation to allow the motor to continuously run and completely drain the power source, or completely unwind the motor. Likewise, if the Hughes devices are manually held in a horizontal position, such as would occur if the device was placed in a box, the second switch would continuously energize the motor, again completely draining the power source. Significantly, the Hughes devices do not disclose or suggest a rotatable cam having a recess for capturing an internal actuator and completely shutting down the motor at a defined cam rotation, even if a manually operable actuator continues to be depressed. The Hughes devices also do not disclose or suggest a low cost cam mechanism for a toy repetitively moving appendages for creating fun and life like animation and facilitating an automatic shut off mechanism preserving battery life in the toy. It would be desirable to provide a manually operable actuator to advance a rotatable cam mechanism with a peripheral surface for engaging an internal actuator for activating a motor and repetitively moving one or more appendages, the cam also includes a recess for capturing the internal actuator and completely shutting down the motor at a defined cam rotation, even if a manually operable actuator continues to be depressed.